August 24, 2015 - Is Google a sin?

Hey y'all!

This week we've had some awesome lessons. We taught a few of our investigators outside, the porch light was out so all you could see was their cigarette butts. One of them said he had a pet pig, we didn't believe him, so he went and got his baby pig and sat it on his lap the whole lesson!  It was a great lesson, they had lots of questions. My favorite question: after we said we couldn't use google, one said, "is Google a sin?" Haha, so funny. He always is asking us what things are sin, you can tell he is has guilt he wants to get rid of. I am so excited to help him find peace through the atonement.

Great news! We are at Steak and Shake and a member from Bartlett just paid for our food. People are awesome!

We had some good lessons with the Ross family this week. We were talking about missions, and Terenzo said he's going to college first. We said yes, that is important. Then his mom jumped in and said God is most important. That was cool. Also, we taught them about tithing and we said, "so if you get $20, you give God $2." Terenzo said, "no...I'll give him $20." So cute. Then his mom explained that God doesn't need money, he's rich. He gives us everything and just wants us to obey and give a little back. It was cool to see how Sonya was understanding and then teaching her son. Love it!

This week we had a lesson with a guy who was kind of Bible bashing with us, but was really nice about it. It was crazy how differently he understood the gospel reading from the same book. It helped me realize how important the Book of Mormon and personal revelation and modern day prophets are. The questions of the soul cannot be answered by the Bible alone. I am so grateful to have the Book of Mormon as a second witness of Christ, and to have prophets that guide our church today.

Have great week everyone, love you!
Love,
Sister Nielsen

We always get a chuckle out of this Viking on the local high school.

Never seen these in real life, they look fake to me!

La michuacana, the best Mexican ice cream ever!

Went to Casa Mexicana with the Peysons, it is their favorite!

August 17, 2015 - Trio

Hi friends!

The big news this week: we are a trio! We were super surprised and excited to get Sister Cawley, an English sister who knows ASL. She is from LA, loves Taco Bell, has a deaf cousin, and is a rockstar missionary. Also she and Sister Kennach are just destined to be companions, they both talk about Red Lobster's "cheddar-bay biscuits" all the time. I'm going to have to try them and see what all the fuss is about. 

 

So in two weeks, I will be transferred to Bartlett, TN. I will be training an new sister and also opening the area for ASL. God apparently has a lot more stuff for me to learn. We have a few deaf leads up there, and there is an interpreter in the ward. And a deaf less active from our ward is moving up there, and a less active in that ward is willing to come help interpret, so I think it is going to be great!  A few weeks ago I was thinking, "They really should open up Bartlett," I just didn't think I would be the one to do it.  

This week the weather wasn't too bad for walking at all, we were pretty blessed. We are still teaching Patrice, she is so ready. We also found out her sister has been reading the Book of Mormon too, so we will hopefully start teaching her. 

I had an awesome experience with following the very quiet voice of the spirit. We had no idea what to do on Thursday, so Wednesday night we wrote down some plans the best we could, then prayed for more inspiration to come. That night I felt we should go over by Rasco Road. The Hermanas were going there, so we caught a ride. We knocked on a door and the lady let us in. Her mom came out and said, "Hey, that's my church!" She hasn't been to church for 30 years, and her name isn't on our role. The night before she and her daughter had been talking about religion, and we were able to answer a lot of their questions. It was so cool that we were led to them by the Spirit at the time they were ready. I feel like I have knocked every door in that area, but I didn't knock on that one until the right time. The Spirit is just awesome. Also the Hermanas set a baptism date at their appointment, it was a great day for everyone :)

Well, I love y'all! Have fun with school, work, missionary work, whatever you are up to. 

Yours truly, 

Sister Nielsen

Late pics from Uncle Lou's. Fried pickles, yum!

Our feet after a long day of walking. EW!

Another pic of bowling last week.

Sister Kennach, Sister Cawley

Sister Kennach, Sister Cawley, and of course Sister Peyson.

 

August 10, 2015 - Follow God and Be Happy

Hey y'all!
Hope you are doing fabulous!
This week we found a very elect family: a mom and her two kids, and then parents of a newborn son all in one house. They have great questions. We read the BOM intro with them and they were excited about everything they were learning. Their eyes would get wide with each new principle. They even downloaded the gospel library app right then and there. They are willing to be baptized as well. They have been looking for truth for a long time and all the things we taught them made sense to them.

This week in my studies in Mosiah, I have noticed a simple theme: follow God and be happy, follow Satan and be miserable. I know that the only way to be happy is to do God's will with a willing and happy heart. I am so grateful for the simplicity of the gospel.

Other great news: we met a super awesome deaf family who we found in our area book! We were up by the temple, and we decided to go see them, and they seem pretty open. The parents and several of their children are deaf, which is very rare. I am excited to start teaching them!

So Hermana Hudson and Hermana Ponce are being transferred, and I will be transferred on September 1 and train a new ASL sister (ASL sisters come mid transfer). Sounds stressful but I am sure I will learn tons. So that's what happening in my neck of the woods. Have a great week everyone, love you!
Sister Sharly Nielsen

We are spoiled, eating at another diners drive ins and dives.



Bowling for Hermana Ponce's birthday, and our last hoorah since a lot of us are being transferred. The whole time I have been with Hermana Ponce she told me her birthday was August 22. I didn't find out until half way through the day that it was actually today. Silly girl.

Exchanges, got to spend the day with these fun girls

More food, the only frozen yogurt I've had on my mission. It was much needed!

Fried green tomato burger from the Dip.

Spaghetti squash stir fry,yum!

August 3, 2015 - Shyraneka's Baptism

Hi friends and family!

This week turned out real good! On Saturday Shyraneka got baptized! She is great, I just love her. Everything went really smoothly, and there were only jumping spiders in the font this time, not cockroaches :) Her less active boyfriend came, and during the church tour after even offered to tell the story of the First Vision. It was a good experience. Shy is going to be a great member, and she is so excited for the temple. 

Saturday we also had the mission reunion for the 40th anniversary of the mission. Sister Kalahiki came, I just love her:) It was cool to see missionaries from this area and all the faith that has gone into building this area and all the miracles that have occurred. I have been studying this week about how miracles can't occur without faith and it is so true! This area has grown so much in the last 40 years, the vision of the South is coming true!

Something I loved this week was Shy's definition of repentance: giving up something you like to be closer to God. I have been thinking about that a lot this week. Heavenly Father knows you we are and who we can become. As we repent, we give up who we are for who He knows we can become, and it is all possible through the Atonement. It goes along with this scripture in Mosiah 3:19. We can only become better, become a saint, through the Atonement as we follow the spirit and do the Lord's will. Love it!

Love y'all, have a great week!

Sister Nielsen

I hope you all have a

VISION OF THE SOUTH: 
"Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir men’s souls. This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English-speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, members of the Church of Christ, Methodists, and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love Him.
As thy see their church veering off to the right or to the left of those basic teachings, they will begin to search for truth; and as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day, you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be temples plural in the South States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people. The missionaries love the South. We are making great strides and expect to continue."
(President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Vaughn J Featherstone)

Mosiah 3:1919 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.   

Tried Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken today, and got a picture with Uncle Lou himself.

Sister Kalahiki came to the mission reunion! I love her.

Shyraneka's baptism!

Shyraneka's baptism!